Trivial Blu Ray Review (Buffalora Entertainment Group)

Trivial is a 2024 independent horror film written, produced, and directed by James L. Edwards (Her Name Was Christa, Satan’s Peak, and Brimstone Incorporated). It was shot and produced by Gordon Cameron (Mama’s Boy, Brimstone Incorporated, and Bunker Heights). Film maker Brad Twig (Crackcoon, Cracula, 10/31: Part 3, WrestleMassacre, and Killer Campout franchise) was the 2nd unit director for this low budget production. Five strangers which includes Dean Mathers (played by: James L. Edwards from Hell Van, Robot Ninja, Zombie Cop, Ozone, Bloodletting, Side Effects May Vary, and WrestleMassacre), Brian Sands (played by: Drew Fortier from Her Name Was Christa and Side Effects May Vary), Kevin Winters (played by: Tim Novotny from 10/31 Part 2 and Demonic Toys: Jack-Attack), Randy Durden (played by: Rick Jermain from Crackcoon and Bigfoot!), and Chris Haim (played by: Adam Scott Clevenger from Scarewaves and Ouija Room) are forced to play a mysterious online game show by an unhinged hostess Laurel Edmonds (played by: Sasha Graham from Side Effects May Vary, Gut-Pile, Psycho Sisters, Screamwalkers, and Her Name Was Christa). Get the answers right, they move to the next level of sadism. Get the answers wrong, it’s lights out for the unlucky loser. The real reason they are selected is as shocking as the deadly game itself!!!! Trivial has a great concept going for it plus it’s loaded with twists. James L. Edwards is one of the most talented writers in the independent scene and it really shows here. Sasha Graham is great as the psychotic Laurel Edmonds. She has way too fun playing her twisted game for an audience to experience. She’s doing all of this for a specific reason and it’s never random which makes things more interesting. James L. Edwards proves once again that some directors and screenwriters can actually act when it comes to their own features. Most of the time, it’s a really bad sign when the person behind the camera is also one of the leading actors but that’s not the case for Trivial. Edwards was a performer in the late 80’s and early 90’s in such projects as The Dead Next Door, Skinned Alive, Maximum Impact, Chickboxer, and Humanoids from Atlantis so he’s been doing this way before he attempted those other aspects of cinema. His style kinda reminds me of Brian O’Halloran from the Clerks franchise. Dean Mathers is one of the smarter contestants from this disturbed underground television show. The rest of the supporting cast includes Drew Fortier, Adam Scott Clevenger, Tim Novotny, Rick Jermain, Douglas Esper (Brimstone Incorporated), Erica Dyer (Desert Fiends), Andrea Carlson Knight (Her Name Was Christa), and Chris Rhydings (Murdercise). Trivial has plenty of sharp dialogue, over the top performances, and violence. There’s enough gore and torture to satisfy any die hard horror fan here. It has a tension filled suspenseful atmosphere that’s always on the edge for it’s entire time. The only real flaw with Trivial is that it’s extremely low budget and very cheaply made in almost every department. Luckily, there’s a good amount of talent that elevates most of that but it had so much more potential to it. I almost never say this especially with a newer production but I would love to see Trivial remade someday with some money behind it because it could be great with some upgrades. Regardless, it’s a still darkly entertaining and so much fun. It’s currently streaming on Tubi if you are curious about it, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Buffalora Entertainment Group! This 1080p (2.39:1) unrated transfer looks decent in HD considering it’s an extremely micro budget production. The practical fx stand out when it comes to the visuals. It has English 5.1 Surround Sound on the disc. The dialogue is crystal clear, the suspense is elevated, and the music has a solid boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has an “Audio Commentary” with director, writer, producer, and lead actor James L. Edwards. He breaks down the origins of this project. He replaced his original lead actress on his directorial debut and he had some extra time while working on that. He was motivated by cult director J.R. Bookwalter who was looking for new films to distribute for MakeFlix. He says he originally made the villain a male and he was going to play the role until Bookwalter convinced him to change it to a female character to make it more interesting. He chats about Sasha Graham and his experiences working with her. He shares all kinds of inside information and personal stories from Trivial. He is very detailed about the independent production. It has a little over 21 minutes of “Deleted Scenes”. It has the almost 2 minute “Alternate Opening”. It has the little over 7 minute “Original Ending”. It has almost 6 minutes of “Bloopers”. James L. Edwards basically provides everything from the cutting room floor which is really nice. I wish more film makers would do this. It’s always interesting to see what didn’t make the final version and why. I appreciate since having all the material to view. It has a variety of “Trailers”. This is a BD-R home video release so it’s professionally burned but not a pressed disc if you were curious. It’s available from Makeflix and directly from James L. Edwards right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!